The Brief

Since its launch in Vietnam in 2006, Ovaltine, a malt-based UHT milk targeted towards kids, and positioned on smartness, performed poorly and went unnoticed. 2010 was termed as the make-or-break year for the brand. If it could not gain momentum, the company would have stopped supporting the brand further. Our challenge was to prove the brand had a future in Vietnam and was worth investing in. The campaign objective was to create buzz, recruit consumers thereby deliver volume growth and increase market share.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

We created the “Super 5 Challenge – Create Your Own Comic Book Ending” – an interactive activation campaign that inspired kids to be imaginative and think smart, in line with Ovaltine’s core positioning. The idea revolved around a group of 5 characters each with a distinct personality trait. We involved children’s storywriters and comic book artists to develop & craft a collection of open-ended fun stories told in the form of comics. Kids were invited to submit their own smart solutions as ends that help Super 5 overcome challenges with which they were faced. The entry with the most votes won.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

The simple but smart strategy paid off. The website was accessed by 670,296 visitors, and 146,534 kids submitted their smart solutions to the stories. But beyond typical Internet metrics, real evidence lies in how it truly impacted business performance. Results beat all expectations. Post the campaign Ovaltine recorded its best-ever performance. Market share jumped by 20%, with a 41% overall growth in volume. The campaign helped the brand gain momentum it desperately needed, and succeeded in firmly putting Ovaltine back on track. Thus proving that smart thinking can compensate for the lack of big budgets – that Smart can beat BIG!

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

This method of promotion was most relevant for the following reasons: • It targeted the user (as against the shopper that all other competitors were going after). • It helped build the direct relationship we intended to. • Using digital as the primary medium made sense with the budgets as well as with the reach within our target group (A third of Vietnam’s 30 million Internet users are students. Source: Asia Digital Marketing Association 2010 Yearbook.] • Above all, it generated buzz, built short-term sales and long-term equity of ‘smartness’ for the brand.